allison011501

Just wondering if anyone sells their work at art shows. I’m curious what type of tent system you use and the method you use to hang the photographs. Thank you.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I do some. I bought my tent at Walmart. Most places require white tops, so be sure you get one with a white top. And be sure to get the straight-leg tent, not the slant leg one. I use grid panels for "walls." If you hang them sideways, they will hold 2 horizontal 20x30's. For vertical pictures, I place the panels vertically. The panels are 6' x 2' and one can buy special hangers designed for holding artwork that are quite secure.

profbowman Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA

Arizona Picture Lady (hope I deconvoluted that correctly), thanks for the info from you experience. I have not ever had a booth at an outside fair. The inside one at our rretirement community only gave me $30 from which I took my rental price. I ended with nothing net.

Can others share at what kinds of fairs you have a booth and did you make any profit? --Richard

tam8224

My wife is an artist (glass) and we have done art fairs for about 13 years. I would suggest going to an art fair near you and checking out what tents other photographers are using and how they hang their photos. I agree with AzPicLady about having a white tent. Some art fairs might not care but most do. My wife started with an EZ Up tent from Sam's Club. I would make sure you get one that comes with sides to keep out rain and to be more secure overnight. One other thing is to make sure you have weights for your tent. Most artists say to have 40 to 50 lbs. per leg. Most artists are very friendly and will be happy to share information with you (if they aren't busy). You may want to check out artfairinsiders.com as they have a lot of good information. Also, zapplication.org, is a site that lists many art fairs around the country and provides information about booth fees, application fees etc. Good luck.

allison011501

Where do you get grid panels?

allison011501

Thank you!!

rbest77701

This is what I use. It is pricier than the display panels, which I also have, but I find this a lot easier to transport in my SUV. It also has the added benefit of adding some strength to your tent if you use the stabilizer bar as it locks two legs together. https://www.flourishdisplays.com/meshpanels_for_popups

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

There's an outfit in Kansas City that imports them. Kc Store Fixtures. Store supply houses will sell them. If you find an artist who is retiring, sometimes they will sell them cheaper.

awesome14 Loc: UK

I have put photos together for exposition, not for sale though. If you're selling them as wall art, they should be framed. That makes them heavy, so you can't affix them with Velcro. I put them on foamcore, and put Velcro 'hooks' on each rear corner. I displayed them on loop-carpeted panels. Abvve the panels I had a flat board with full-spectrum LED ligjts in it. That means I needed power, but large battereis would work too.

I made everything myself for about $400.00., including the images. I used carpeting, plywood and contact cement for the panels; and a thin strip of plywood to hold the LEDs. I wouldn't rely on house lighting for your display, or your work won't look as good as it could. You can get different color 'temperature' LEDs, which go from around 5000--orangish like an incandescent bulb, to 9600--lile sunlight, or white LEDs--like moonlight. There are also other colors, but you probably wouldn't use those for exposition.

The things you want are lots of light, a sturdy structure that won't fall, and a secure way to affix the photos. Easel type displays are the worst. You can hardly fir anything on them, and you can never put next to each other differemt sized images, nor arrange them the way you want.

Carpeting and Velcro are infinitely configurable, even on the fly, right when your selling. If You sell one, the remainder won't be balanced. So, you have to rearrange. I didn't have to worry about selling the images, so I brought exactly what I needed. But you need to decide what to bring with you. Since you have no idea what people will like most, I'd bring no more than one copy of any image.

From an attendee perspective, the idea of an arts and crafts fair is to discover and celebrate local talent, and to patronize at least one of the the artists. No one wants to attend an arts and crafts fair and not wind up with 'something' they can tell people, "Oh, I got that from 'so-and-so artist at such-and-such art fair."

Serious buyers always want to negotiate prices. They think it's fun! Some of them don't really care how much they pay, but rather the amoumt it was reduced by negotiation. I was at an art fair at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. It's a nationwide affair, but mostly Midwest artists. A guy entered the disply of an excellent sculptor (can't remember exactly which) and started negotiating with the artist!

This artist wasn't having any of it. So the buyer started adding other pieces to his deal. The artist finally decided to deal a bit, and he sold $57,000.00 worth of his work for $47,000.00! Sometimes it's tough to figure out how to play it for an artist, but I'd never witnessed a sell like that one! He played it perfectly!

So, the moral is, mark up everything by at least 20% from whwt you'd actually accept. But never initiate negotiation. Great artists are supposed to be less than adept at the business side. So, maybe this answer can get you going a bit! Selling photographic images as art--no matter how beautiful they are--reqiires lots of exposure, self-promotion, and diligence. Some artists hire a prticularly attractive individual (usually male) to work the dieplay with them, just to tout the art to visitors.

I'd definitely go for it! What do you have to lose? Otherwise, you'll always wonder 'what if'!

imagerybox Loc: Elgin, IL

If you are a DIY type, I use a much more economical hanging system that I have been using for the last 15 years. It consists of black mesh (there is also white available) from online that is used for trucks and/or shade screens. I have sewn the top and bottom to slip PVC thru. The PVC is cut in half for easier transport. I have old aluminum tent poles that slip inside to keep the PVC together and more rigid. Steel pipe screwed together might work easier. I also use a hanger of some sort to support the top center of the PVC from the tent frame. Use small bungie cords to support the vertical sides to tent legs. I use u-bolts to hang top PVC from tent frame and small u-bolts to attach bottom Pvc to frame.

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awesome14 Loc: UK

That really nice! Excellent work!

imagerybox Loc: Elgin, IL

Thanks!

imagerybox Loc: Elgin, IL

Thanks!

Judy795

Good luck. I bought four of my favorite pieces at art shows: a signed print done by a quadriplegic with a brush in his mouth, an oil painting from an eternally grateful local artist, a great photo taken from inside the Key Biscayne lighthouse looking out, and a minor print I just liked. Now I leave remaining wall space for my own stuff.

brentrh Loc: Deltona, FL

Craft fairs e z up types most art fairs pole type art tents…..walls sun screen awing…hangers drapery hooks pin hook were you want it